Richard John McAuliffe (November 29, 1939 – May 13, 2016) was an American professional baseballshortstop / second baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers (1960–73) and Boston Red Sox (1974–75).[1] He was a part of the Tigers' 1968 World Series championship, and was known for his unusual batting stance. A left-handed hitter, McAuliffe held his hands very high with an open stance that faced the pitcher. As the pitcher delivered to home plate, he moved his forward (right) foot to a more conventional position before swinging.[2]
In the 1961 and 1962 seasons, McAuliffe shifted between shortstop and second base before replacing Chico Fernandez as the Tigers starting shortstop from 1963–1966. Known for his wide-open batting stance and leg kick, McAuliffe never hit higher than .274 but was a significant contributor to the Tigers' offensive output in the 1960s. In 1964, he hit a career-high 24 home runs, the most by any Tiger that season. In 1965, he was the American League's starting shortstop in the All Star game, and he went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs batted in.[6] In 1966, he finished the season ranked fourth in the league with a .373 on-base percentage and fifth in the league with a .509 slugging percentage.[7]
After making the American League All Star team in 1965 and 1966 at shortstop,[8] McAuliffe agreed to move to second base in 1967 to make room for Ray Oyler to take over at shortstop. Even with the move, McAuliffe was selected for his third consecutive All Star team in 1967.[9] The 1967 season was memorable for the tight four-way pennant race between the Tigers, the Boston Red Sox, the Minnesota Twins, and the Chicago White Sox, with all four teams still in contention entering the final week of the season.[10] The Tigers needed to win the final game of the season against the California Angels, to force a one-game playoff with the Red Sox for the American League championship however, the Tigers lost the game to finish the season one game behind the Red Sox. Along with Al Kaline and Bill Freehan, McAuliffe played an integral role for the Tigers during the 1967 season, finishing among the American League leaders in walks with 105 (3rd), 245 times on base (3rd), 7 triples (3rd), 92 runs (5th), 118 strikeouts (5th), 22 home runs (8th), and a .364 on-base percentage (9th).[11]
In the Tigers' 1968 World Championship season, McAuliffe played a key role.[12] He had a .344 on-base percentage, led the American League with 95 runs scored, and showed power with 50 extra base hits.[3][13] He also tied a major league record by going the entire 1968 season without grounding into a double play and is the only American League player who has done so.[14] McAuliffe also improved defensively in 1968, reducing his error total from 28 in 1967 to nine in 1968 and, finished second among American League second basemen in fielding percentage.[2][15] He finished seventh in the 1968 American League Most Valuable Player Award voting, behind teammates Denny McLain (1st), Bill Freehan (2nd), and Willie Horton (4th).[16]
On August 22, 1968, McAuliffe was involved in a brawl with Chicago White Sox pitcher Tommy John.[2][17] After one pitch barely missed McAuliffe's head, and another was thrown behind him, McAuliffe charged the mound, drove his knee into John's shoulder and separated it.[2] John was out for the season, and McAuliffe was suspended for five games.[2] Interviewed 30 years later, McAuliffe was still convinced John was throwing at his head: "The first pitch at me was right at my head, and I mean right at my head. The catcher never laid any leather on it, and it hit the backstop. The next pitch, he spun me down, threw it behind me."[2] White Sox' general managerEd Short took a different view, pointing out the pitch before the fight came on a 3-2 count, resulting in a runner reaching base.[18]
In the 1968 World Series, McAuliffe played all seven games at second base, and had 5 runs scored, and 6 hits, 4 walks, 3 runs batted in, and one home run.[19] His steadying influence in the middle infield helped make it possible for manager Mayo Smith to take the radical step of playing center fielder Mickey Stanley at shortstop in the World Series in order to get a better bat in the lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals, led by Bob Gibson.[20][21]
Boston Red Sox
McAuliffe in 1974
McAuliffe continued as the Tigers' starting second baseman through the 1973 season. He was traded from the Tigers to the Boston Red Sox for Ben Oglivie on October 23, 1973.[22] McAuliffe hit .210 in 100 games for the Red Sox in 1974.[3] He began 1975 as the manager of Boston's Double-A farm team, the Bristol Red Sox, located in McAuliffe's native state of Connecticut.[23] He guided Bristol into first place in the Eastern League, but was recalled to Boston in August to resume his playing career as a utility infielder. However, McAuliffe was released after playing seven more games. His career ended on September 1, 1975, in a Yankees-Red Sox game. McAuliffe dropped an easy popup for an error.[2] Later in the inning, McAuliffe's throw pulled Carl Yastrzemski off the bag.[2] Though it was scored a single, the Boston fans booed McAuliffe. He was left off Boston's post-season roster, and his major league career was over.[2]
McAuliffe was among the American League leaders in triples eight times, and his ability to draw walks also increased his offensive output, ending his career with a .343 on-base percentage.[3]Bill James ranked McAuliffe 22nd all-time among second baseman in his Historical Baseball Abstract.[2][24]
Post baseball career
After retiring from baseball, McAuliffe owned a business that repaired and installed coin-operated washers and dryers for ten years, and also ran baseball schools.[2] McAuliffe also played professional softball for the New England Pilgrims of the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL) in their 1979 season.[25]
Death
After a battle with Alzheimer's disease, McAuliffe died on May 13, 2016, at the age of 76, after suffering a stroke.[26]
